Government invests €56m in grassroots sports facilities

A massive €56m investment in grassroots sports facilities announced by the Government this week will help produce and inspire a new generation of sports stars, Irish Olympian Lizzie Lee said.

The Leevale athlete, who competed for Ireland in the Rio Olympics marathon and who is preparing as part of the Irish team for the European Cross Country championships in Slovakia on Sunday week, said such large-scale funding has a massive snowball effect, especially on “Cinderella sports” like athletics.

“When you invest on this scale at this level, people see results, they see things happening.

“You might see it first at the higher level of the sport but then more people are inclined to join those sports clubs, you get more results, and it trickles all the way down to the kids.”

She was speaking after Sports Minister Shane Ross announced the national funding package — double last year’s amount — which will see some 200 clubs and organisations around the country receive funding for everything from pitch improvements to the purchase of floodlights, gym equipment, lawnmowers, oars and boats.

Mr Ross said it was about investing at grassroots level to help produce the Olympians, GAA stars and international soccer players of tomorrow.

“You have got to put money into this level if you are going to get to the top level,” he said.

“For me it’s more important to encourage people on the ground because it has so many implications for the mental health of the nation and the (general) health of the nation.”

Ms Lee’s athletics club was among the big beneficiaries in Cork, with a €105,000 grant to help fund its new High Performance Centre in Farranlea, in the western suburbs.

John A Wood Ltd Sports and Social Club, home to Lakewood AFC in Ballincollig, secured €142,000 for the development of an all-weather pitch.

In Tánaiste Simon Coveney’s constituency, Carrigaline AFC got €116,000 to convert a grass pitch to all-weather and Crosshaven AFC €125,000 for a new artificial playing surface.

Mitchelstown GAA club landed €120,000 for new floodlights and a training area and Skibbereen Rowing Club, which helped produce the Olympic and European heroes, the O’Donovan brothers, got €59,000 to upgrade its fleet, oars and other equipment.